Exploring challenges experienced by teachers in addressing learning barriers in the classroom: A case study for two selected schools in Chris Hani, South Africa

Lilitha Daniso ORCID iD & Samson Matope ORCID iD  

Issue: Vol. 7 No.4  2026 Article 12 pp.1126 – 1141
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20267412| Published online 26th May 2026

© 2026 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Views: 19
6 Downloads

DOWNLOAD PDF

This study explored the difficulties public school teachers encounter in dealing with learning barriers in the classroom in Chris Hani-West, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The main goal was to understand the support given to teachers in dealing with learning barriers in the classroom. The study used a qualitative approach involving interviews and observations, and the data collected were presented using a thematic method. The study used the case study method. Eight teachers were purposefully chosen in two selected schools. The study findings showed that distractions, reading/writing problems, and disruptive behaviours in the classroom all pose challenges to successful instruction. The findings showed that teachers use differentiated instruction and collaborative techniques, as well as inclusive teaching practices and curriculum adaptation to meet multiple learning requirements. The findings also showed that teachers experience a lack of support from education departments, emphasizing the requirement for more school and department-based extensive in-service training. The study also recommends improved teacher training, professional development, smaller class sizes, inclusive teaching practices, community involvement, and collaborative support systems.

Keywords: inclusive education, learning barriers, support and teachers.

Adams, C. M., and C. H. Hitchcock. “ Learning Barriers for Students with Disabilities.” Intervention in School and Clinic 52, no. 2 (2017): 93–99.

Ajjawi, R., and W. Fairbanks. “ Inclusive Education in the USA: Teacher Perceptions and Preparations.” International Journal of Inclusive Education 23, no. 7–8 (2019): 735–53.

Burcu, Oana. “Refocusing Group Work on Collaborative Learning and Diversifying Assessments in Political Science Departments.” European Political Science 19, no. 1 (2020): 140–57.

Cain, M., M. Fanshawe, E. Armstrong, and L. Lieberman. “ Barriers to Physical Activity for Australian Students with Vision Impairment.” International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 2023, 1–19.

CAST. “Universal Design for Learning Guidelines Version 2.2.” 2018. http://udlguidelines.cast.org.

Chew, Stephen L, and William J Cerbin. “The Cognitive Challenges of Effective Teaching.” The Journal of Economic Education 52, no. 1 (2021): 17–40.

DeMatthews, D., B. Billingsley, J. McLeskey, and U. Sharma. “ Principal Leadership for Students with Disabilities in Effective Inclusive Schools.” Journal of Educational Administration 58, no. 5 (2020): 539–54.

Department of Basic Education.  Policy on Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support (SIAS).  Pretoria: Government Printer, 2014.

Department of Education. Education White Paper 6: Special Needs Education Building an Inclusive Education and Training System.  Pretoria: Government Printer, 2001.

Ferrán, Olga Rodríguez, Bart Hofman, and Beno Schraepen. Inclusive Education: Research and Practice. Wanceulen SL, 2023.

Gallagher, T., and S. Holmes. “ Interpreting the Diverse Needs of Students: A Framework for Developing Culturally Responsive Pedagogy.” Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice 20, no. 1 (2018): 81–95.

Graham, S., and B. Weiner. “Teachers’ Views on Students’ Writing and Remediation Practices: Implications for Writing Instruction.”  Reading and Writing 30, no. 7 (2017): 1443–67.

Harlow, A., and K. Cowell. “Building Teacher Capacity to Address Barriers to Learning.” Teaching and Teacher Education 68 (2017): 297–307.

Ianes, D., H. Demo, and S. Dell’Anna. “Inclusive Education in Italy: Historical Steps, Positive Developments, and Challenges.”  Prospects 49, no. 3–4 (2020): 249–63.

Iruka, I.U., M. DeKraai, J. Walther, S.M. Sheridan, and T. Abdel-Monem. “ Examining How Rural Ecological Contexts Influence Children’s Early Learning Opportunities.”  Early Childhood Research Quarterly 52 (2020): 15–29.

Johnson, Nickole S. “Understanding the Perspective of Educators and Administrators as It Relates to the Effectiveness of Phonics and Phonemic Awareness Reading Instructions for Elementary Students.” Trident University International, 2021.

Ko, Sarah, and Linda S Petty. “Assistive Technology Accommodations for Post-Secondary Students with Mental Health Disabilities: A Scoping Review.” Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology 17, no. 7 (2022): 760–66.

Lassoued, Z., M. Alhendawi, and R. Bashitialshaaer. “An Exploratory Study of the Obstacles for Achieving Quality in Distance Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Education Sciences 10, no. 9 (2020): 232.

Ledwaba, Raesetja Gloria. “Teacher Training Guidelines for Curriculum Differentiation in a Foundation Phase Programme.” University of Pretoria (South Africa), 2017.

Lepore, A., and K. Brown. “Supporting Challenging Behaviours in the Classroom: Strategies and Resources for Effective Implementation.” Intervention in School and Clinic 54, no. 2 (2019): 123–30.

Llosa, L., and J. Snyder. “ Preparing Teachers to Work with English Learners: Designing and Aligning Teacher Preparation Programs.” Journal of Teacher Education 68, no. 1 (2017): 62–74.

Loh, Raymond Chee-Yen, and Chin-Siang Ang. “Unravelling Cooperative Learning in Higher Education.” Research in Social Sciences and Technology 5, no. 2 (2020): 22–39.

Lytra, Niki, and Athanasios Drigas. “STEAM Education- Metacognition – Specific Learning Disabilities.” Scientific Electronic Archives 14, no. 10 (September 29, 2021). https://doi.org/10.36560/141020211442.

Mankgele, Khutso Pitso. “The Consequence of Overcrowded Classrooms in the Teachıng and Learnıng of Entrepreneurıal Subjects in Secondary Schools.” Asian Journal of Management, Entrepreneurship and Social Science 3, no. 04 (2023): 1533–45.

Marongedza, L., P.M. Hlungwani, and P. Hove. “ Institutional Constraints Affecting Secondary School Student Performance: A Case Study of Rural Communities in Zimbabwe.”  Cogent Education 10, no. 1 (2023): 2163552.

Mavidou, Anastasia, and Domna Kakana. “Differentiated Instruction in Practice: Curriculum Adjustments in Kindergarten.” Creative Education 10, no. 03 (2019): 535–54. https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2019.103039.

Mishra, P. A., S. Hota, and P.R. Khamari. “Curriculum Adaptation in Inclusive Education.”  International Journal of Applied Research 5, no. 8 (2019): 70–74.

Mitchell, David, and Dean Sutherland. What Really Works in Special and Inclusive Education: Using Evidence-Based Teaching Strategies. Routledge, 2020.

Mnyamana, Nondumiso, Samson Matope, and Clever Ndebele. “Examining Grade 6 Teachers’ Knowledge and Understanding of Differentiated Instruction in O.R. Tambo Inland District in South Africa.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, May 3, 2024, 593–610. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.2024553.

Nyirenda, J., J.T. Sibanda-Kunda, and J. Chibwe. “Challenges of Inclusive Schooling on Academic Performance of Students with Visual Impairment at Munali Boys’ Secondary School, Zambia.”  European Journal of Special Education Research 6, no. 3 (2020).

Rizvi, Y.S., and A. Nabi. “ Transformation of Learning from Real to Virtual: An Exploratory-Descriptive Analysis of Issues and Challenges.”  Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching & Learning 14, no. 1 (2021): 5–17.

Sharma, Umesh. “Inclusive Education in the Pacific: Challenges and Opportunities.” PROSPECTS 49, no. 3–4 (November 20, 2020): 187–201. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-020-09498-7.

Shields, T., J. Coleman, and G. R. Simonson. “ Teacher Perceptions of the Challenges of Inclusive Teaching in General Education Classrooms.” Journal of Disability Policy Studies 31, no. 1 (2020): 8–16.

Sugai, G., and R.H. Horner. “Sustaining and Scaling Positive Behavioural Interventions and Supports: Implementation Drivers, Outcomes, and Considerations.” Exceptional Children 86, no. 2 (2020): 120–36.

Tebid, A. C. “Support Strategies to Assist Foundation Phase Teachers with Implementation of Inclusive Education: A Case of Selected Johannesburg West Schools.” The Independent Journal of Teaching and Learning 14, no. 2 (2019): 108–24.

Tomlinson, Carol Ann. “Differentiated Instruction.” In Fundamentals of Gifted Education, 279–92. Second edition. | New York, NY : Routledge, 2017.: Routledge, 2017. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315639987-26.

———. Everybody’s Classroom: Differentiating for the Shared and Unique Needs of Diverse Students. Teachers College Press, 2022.

Dr. Samson Matope is an Academic Developer working as a Lecturer in the Continuing Professional Teacher Development Department, Walter Sisulu University, South Africa. He is passionate about academic staff development in higher education and has published 5 articles in local and international journals, and also chaired sessions at academic conferences. He has supervised more than 30 postgraduate Honors and master’s students.  He has presented and published on curriculum transformation, academic staff development and student engagement in higher education at national conferences and teaching and learning. He is currently involved in the institutional research niche area on curriculum development and sustainable development in higher education. Dr Matope is a member of the Siyaphumelela project at Walter Sisulu University.

Lilitha Daniso holds a Bachelor of Education honours degree in Inclusive Education and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Inclusive Education. She is passionate about promoting inclusive classroom practices and creating supportive learning environments that address diverse learning barriers during teaching and learning. Her academic and professional interests focus on advancing equitable educational opportunities for all learners through inclusive pedagogical approaches and learner support strategies.

Daniso, Lilitha, and Samson Matope. “Exploring challenges experienced by teachers in addressing learning barriers in the classroom: A case study for two selected schools in Chris Hani, South Africa.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 7, no.4 (2026): 1126 – 1141 https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20267412

© 2026 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Articles in this Issue

About Journal